Fight Like a Girl
by kidadigasha
Summary: When a quiet girl arrives at Camp Green Lake, she quickly learns that at this place and around the D-tent boys, she doesn't have to keep her head down and mouth shut anymore. At the camp for delinquents, she's free.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: okay so the beginning is a little slow, but it'll get better!!! enjoy! and please review, i love hearing the thoughts of my readers!**

Chapter 1: _The Arrival_

The bus's roaring motor was the only sound, seeing as the driver and the cop at the front weren't very talkative. I shifted in the seat again, trying to find a decently comfortable position that didn't make the handcuffs dig into my wrists. The damn cop had clipped them on a little tighter than necessary. And the heat pressed against me, almost suffocatingly. My black tank top clung to my upper body, and my jeans felt like a second skin. I would be living with this ridiculous heat for the next eighteen months. _Fantastic_. With an annoyed sigh, I cast my gaze out of the bus window and watched the bland scenery flash by.

The sun beat down from the cloudless sky, its rays stretching across the barren landscape. And it really was barren. There was nothing out there. Not even a tree, or a simple little bush. Just dry, cracked dirt. The further we drove, though, the more the ground changed. Soon, there were holes everywhere. Holes big enough to fit almost comfortably in. It was the complete opposite of what the name Camp Green Lake conjured to mind. Yes, Camp Green Lake, the facility for juvenile delinquents out in the middle of nowhere. And it really was the middle of nowhere. Oh, and not only was it far away from any civilization, but it was also a camp for delinquent boys. And until today, it had been a camp for _only_ boys. But apparently, after talking with the warden, the judge was able to get her to bend the rules.

Yes, I am a sixteen-year-old girl (almost seventeen), and currently on my way to Camp Green Lake. How did that happen? Well, apparently I am too violent for a girls' facility. Which may or may not be true. But in my defense, what happened was _not_ my fault. I know, I know, that's what everyone says. But in my case, it's true. Not that anyone believed me when I tried explaining. In all honesty, I was probably the quietest girl at my school; the one who avoided arguments at all costs; the one who wouldn't stand up for herself; the timid one. And that was why everyone chose to make me the school's play thing: because they knew I wouldn't fight back. But the judge and jury didn't see that. They simply looked at the evidence and the witnesses and victim statements, and made their decision. The only thing I was allowed to do was choose between Camp Green Lake and jail. Well, obviously I didn't want to go to jail. So, that is how I found myself on this damn bus, with two silent guards (the driver and the cop), heading into the middle of nowhere.

The bus pulled to a stop, and the first thing I noticed were all the boys, all dressed in orange jumpsuits. Wow, there was a lot of them. They stopped whatever they were doing to look at the bus, waiting to see their new camp mate. Great. My nerves began humming, and I swallowed, suddenly nervous. What the hell had I been thinking to choose an all boys delinquent camp? How stupid could I be? I've never even had a boyfriend, and here I was throwing myself into a place chuck full of them And having about fifty teenage boys in such close proximity to each other meant that the testosterone level would be extremely high. Damn, I was in trouble. The cop came back and helped me out of the seat, slinging my back pack over his shoulder to carry for me, and escorted me to the front of the bus. The door opened, and the quiet buzz of conversation filled the bus.

"Yo, fresh meat!" someone yelled.

I rolled my eyes and stepped off the bus, squinting in the blinding sunlight. There was a pause in the buzz of voices.

"Dude, it's a girl," another person stated.

I kept my mouth shut and my eyes forward as I followed the cop into a somewhat small building. My eyes slid shut in relief as cool air wrapped around me. Air Conditioning was probably one of the best inventions ever made. But something told me that the other buildings would not be this much of an escape from the heat.

"Peyton Williams?"

I opened my eyes at my name and saw a man reclining behind a desk, munching on sunflower seeds and watching me closely. "Yes."

He stood, adjusted his cowboy hat on his head, and walked around the desk. He nodded to the cop, who unlocked the handcuffs, handed me my bag, and left. "My name is Mr. Sir. Whenever you talk to me, you will call me by my name. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Mr. Sir." What kind of a name was that?

"Follow me." He walked out into the heat, and I grudgingly followed. As soon as we were outside, I could tell more boys had come out. They were all lounging around on porches or just standing in the sun, watching us. Yay me, I was the shiny new toy. "Look around," Mr. Sir said. "See anything? Fences?"

"No, Mr. Sir," I answered. He was right. All I saw was barren land.

"That's because we don't need it. If you want to run, go ahead. Run. I won't stop you. We've got the only water and food for a hundred miles. If you don't starve or die of dehydration, you'll be buzzard food. You got to watch out for snakes, rattlers, scorpions. You don't bother them, they won't bother you, usually. Or worse, yellow spotted lizards. And you don't want to get bit by one of them. They're poisonous. One bite, and you'll die, a slow and painful death. Always."

Wow, he really knew how to give a pep talk. Not only did I have to worry about probably getting raped, but now I had to watch where I walked so I wouldn't get bit. Why hadn't I chosen jail? At least in jail I wouldn't have to deal with snakes and lizards! He led me into another small building, where a boy was moving around, organizing. The boy jumped in surprise when he saw me. Mr. Sir nodded at him, and he passed me two orange jumpsuits, two white tee shirts, and a pair of brown work boots, looking slightly confused.

"You will get two sets of clothes. One for work, and one for relaxation. After three days your work clothes will be washed and your second set will become your work clothes. Got it?"

I nodded. "Yes, Mr. Sir."

"Change," he said.

"What?" I asked, frowning.

"I said change, now."

"Here?"

"Yes, here," he snapped impatiently.

"Mr. Sir," I started, my eyes moving from him to the boy and back. He wanted me to change _here_, in front of two strangers? With an annoyed huff, he turned and motioned for the boy to do the same. I quickly scrambled out of my jeans and sneakers and pulled on the jumpsuit, followed by the boots. I stood and pushed my light brown hair out of my face. "Okay."

He turned and put his fists on his hips. "Just so you know, this ain't a girl scout camp. I don't care if you are a girl. While you're here, you'll be treated just like all the other delinquents. No special princess treatment, got it?"

"Yes, Mr. Sir."

He nodded at the boy, who passed him a shovel. "You are to dig one hole each day. Five feet deep, five feet in diameter. Your shovel is your measuring stick. The faster you dig, the faster you can get out of the hot sun. Got it?" The boy took the shovel back.

I nodded. His eyes narrowed slightly, and I sighed. "Yes, Mr. Sir."

"Good."

"Peyton Williams?" I turned to find a shorter man in the doorway, white sunscreen on his nose and a straw hat on his head. "I'm Dr. Pendanski, your counselor. I just want you to know, that you may have done some bad things, but that does not make you a bad person. I respect you, Peyton."

Wow. He was full of shit. Forcing a smile, I held out my hand. "Nice to meet you."

He shook it and smiled back, then motioned for me to follow. After grabbing the towel, the pair of gloves and orange hat the boy handed over, I quietly thanked him and hurried after Pendanski. He gave me a quick tour (well, pointed out each building as we walked) and explained what each was. In all honesty, the warden's cabin looked the most welcoming, which was weird considering the number one rule at Camp Green Lake was "do not upset the warden", which made me think the warden wasn't the most pleasant person. And we had to have cold showers. Cold, seriously? Just because I could see the heat rising from the ground didn't mean I wanted a cold shower!

"You'll be in D-tent," he stated. "D stands for Diligence. Lucky for you, there is one bed left."

I stopped. "You're putting me in a tent with boys?"

He looked back and slowed. "Well, yes. We don't have anywhere else to put you."

"What...." I threw up my arms, looking at him and blinking. "Who the hell decided to put the female delinquent in a tent with male delinquents? What are you people thinking?" Okay, this was one of the rare times I actually spoke my mind.

Pendanski frowned. "Nothing will happen." I snorted in response, and his frown deepened. "The D-tent boys are nice boys, and they will respect you." Again with the respect thing. "Now, come on. Time to meet your tent mates!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: _Introductions_

Pendanski led me to one of the tents and ducked under the flap. After a small hesitation, I followed. Inside the tent, there were eight beds, well, more like cots with sheets. Seven were semi-made, and one (closest to the tent's opening) had two folded sheets sitting on the pillow. Looking around, it was easy to tell that seven boys lived here. Everything looked out of place.

Pendanski thumped the unused bed with his hand. "This will be your bed. Lights go out at nine, and you are expected to be in bed by then."

"'Kay." I dropped my bag on the bed and looked around again.

The tent flap opened and three boys walked in. One rather round boy, one boy with huge glasses, and one who looked latino. The boys paused in the entrance.

Pendanksi was the first to break the silence. "Boys, please welcome your new tent mate, Peyton Williams. Peyton, this is Rex, Theodore, and Jose."

"Yo, my name is X-Ray," the boy with glasses snapped. "He's Armpit, and he's Magnet."

I gave them a quick, jerky nod. "Hi."

"They all have their little nicknames, but I prefer to use the names society will recognize them by," Pendanski said, eying them sternly as he said the last part. X-Ray rolled his eyes, and the three boys walked past us to their cots. Two more boys entered and gave me startled looks. One had crazy red hair, and the other had short brown hair. "Boys, meet Peyton. Peyton, this is Ricky and Alan."

"Mom, it's Zigzag and Squid," X-Ray corrected.

They called Pendanski mom?

Squid's lips twitched into almost a smile, and then he walked further into the tent. Zigzag paused longer before following his friend. Again, the tent flap opened and two more boys walked in. One with curly light brown hair and one shorter boy with what could almost be a fro, but not really. Their reaction was the same as the others.

"And this is Stanley and Zero," Pendanski said. "Boys, meet Peyton."

"That's Caveman," X-Ray said.

"Hey," Caveman said, giving me a small smile, which I returned with my own mumbled greeting. Zero stayed quiet.

"Well, I'll let you all get acquainted," Pendanski said happily. "Boys, I expect you to be on your _best_ behavior while she's here," he added, and then left us all in an awkward silence.

I stood where I was, glancing around, afraid to meet any of the boys' eyes. My heart was beating rapidly in my chest, and I was pretty sure they could hear it. I folded my arms (a nervous habit) and looked at the tent's wood floor, almost afraid to move. How pathetic was that?

"So...Payton, right? How did a girl end up here?"

I glanced up to catch who was talking. Magnet, I think? I shrugged. "They thought I was too violent for a girls' facility," I answered quietly.

"You don't seem that violent to me," Armpit commented. Squid cuffed the back of his head. "Ow! What?"

"It's the quiet ones you gotta watch out for, 'Pit," Squid said. He looked over at me. "So what'd they get you for?"

"Beat up a few girls, shoved a couple girls down some stairs, and threatened multiple people," I answered. Well, that's what I was accused of. Too bad no one believed me when I said I was innocent! Okay, maybe not completely innocent. But it was self defense, which makes me the innocent victim! I think....

"You're a little small to be doing that kind of damage," Zigzag said, giving me a brief appraisal with his eyes.

That was true. I'm only 5'3" and 130 pounds. I shrugged. "Apparently not." My gaze dropped to the floor again. I hated being in the spot light, which was yet another reason why I should have just chosen jail. It was very unlikely that I'd be able to fly under everyones radar while I was here. My life sucked.

"Are you just going to stand there?" Zigzag asked.

"Huh?" I looked up and then around. "Um, no." I began busying myself with making my bed after shoving my bag under the cot. After, I sat on the bed and folded my legs under me, not quite sure what to do, and not wanting to be in the way. The heat wrapped around me, and I couldn't understand how the boys could just mill around and act as though it wasn't as hot as hell. I suppose they'd be used to it, but still. Armpit, Magnet, Zero and Caveman had their suits fully on and all but Magnet had them zipped, and I couldn't help but think that they must be sweating like crazy. At least X-Ray, Squid, and Zigzag had tied the upper part of the suit around their waists and were just sporting their white tee shirts.

A horn sounded somewhere, and the boys all filed outside. Squid stuck his head back in after a few minutes. "You coming?"

"Where?" I asked, slowly sliding to the edge of the bed.

"Dinner," he said, and then disappeared back outside.

When I walked outside, it was like hitting an invisible hot brick wall. I hadn't realized how nice it was in the tent until I had to leave it. I hurried after the boys and trailed behind them into the mess hall. The mess hall looked just like any camp dining area with wooden tables and benches. I grabbed a tray and moved down the line, watching in slight disgust as the serving boys slopped muck onto my tray. Near the end I was able to grab two slices of bread. I slowly trailed away from the line, my eyes scanning the room as I wondered where to sit.

"Hey, Peyton!" Caveman called, and waved me over to their table.

I quickly slid into the empty seat at the end of the bench, not meeting any of the boys' eyes. I looked down at my tray and swallowed back a small wave of nausea. They expected us to eat this crap?

"Damn, she's almost as quiet as Zero," someone whispered, and the others mumbled their agreements.

I risked a glance up and around, and caught a few eyes of the other delinquents at nearby tables. If I had to guess, I'd say that a lot of the conversations were centered around my arrival. This was just what I needed. I picked up my fork and began poking at the muck, feeling my upper lip curl in disgust.

"Don't worry, chica, you'll get used to it," the person next to me said.

I glanced up and saw Magnet watching me. "Do I even _want_ to get used to it?"

He shrugged and grinned. "It's better than nothing."

A small smile lifted the corners of my mouth and I looked back down at my tray. After another moment of pushing the muck around with the fork, I risked a taste. Okay, it wasn't as bad as it looked, but still... gross. I bit into the bread, and suddenly heard my taste buds sing. Oh yes, the bread was the best part.

"Hey, new girl."

I quickly looked up at the speaker and then back down. "Yeah?"

"Since you didn't dig today, you wouldn't mind giving up your bread to someone who did, would you?" X-Ray asked, already reaching for the bread I had set aside for "dessert".

"Um," I started. My nerves began humming again as everyone's attention shifted to me. The bread was the best part! But then again, if I said no, I'd probably end up pissing off one of my tent mates. Damn it! I snatched both pieces of bread away just as his fingers touched the top. He raised an eyebrow at me, and I realized that new people probably never said no to the older campers. I set the bread on the other side of the tray, but passed him one piece. "No offense, but the bread's the best part."

His hesitation and intense stare made me want to shrink away and give him both pieces, but I resisted. Finally, he took the offered bread and dropped it onto his own tray. My gaze fell back down to my own tray and I tried to ignore the feeling of eyes boring into me.

When dinner was over, I followed the boys back to the tent, keeping my head down. I pulled out a sketchbook and pencil from my bag and then climbed onto my cot. I flipped to the first page, sprawled out on my stomach, and closed my eyes, pulling the scene of barren landscape on the drive in to the front of my mind. Opening my eyes, I made the first line on the page, and then let my pencil sketch the image in my mind.

By the time another horn sounded, it was completely dark out, and my first drawing was just about done. I glanced up and saw the boys moving toward their cots, so I closed the sketchbook and stuffed it back into my bag, along with the pencil. Lights went out, and black darkness engulfed the tent. That was probably a good thing, because I hadn't changed into night clothes yet. So I blindly fished around in my bag and pulled out the shorts I had brought for bed and quickly pulled off the jumpsuit and slipped on the shorts. Then I crawled under the top sheet of my cot and laid back, only now wondering if I would wake up with a scorpion, spider, or lizard in bed with me.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: _The First Hole_

A trumpet sounded, the loud sound blaring through the darkness. I cracked one eye open and saw slivers of light poking through black and somewhat illuminating the inside of the tent. With a growl, I rolled over, putting my back to the rest of the tent, and pulled the sheet over my head, closing my eyes again. Why the hell was there a trumpet going off in the middle of the night? I could hear the boys climbing out of bed and moving around, talking as they went. Didn't they realize that it was still night?

"Come on, new girl, get up," someone said. It sounded like Squid because of the country boy accent. I made a protesting sound in the back of my throat and curled into a ball.

"Get up, chica." That was Magnet. "You don't want Mr. Sir coming in to get you up, do you?" I made a louder sound of protest, and heard him laugh. I am _not_ a morning person.

Suddenly the sheet was ripped off of me and cool night air hit my bare skin. I sucked in air and sat up fast, my eyes already narrowed into a glare when I turned on the person holding my sheet. "What the hell!" I snapped angrily. Now, I m usually pretty good at controlling my temper, but this early in the morning I wasn't feeling super nice.

Squid raised an eyebrow before tossing the sheet back onto my cot. "Time to get up."

I climbed off the cot and grabbed my jumpsuit from the floor. After shaking it a little to make sure nothing had decided to make it a bed, I pulled it on over my shorts and tank top, and then found a scrunchie in my bag and pulled my hair back into a messy ponytail not caring what I looked like at the moment. I followed the boys out and through the camp to where Mr. Sir was standing by a shed marked _Library_. Inside the shed were shovels.

"Rise and shine!" Pendanski called from the porch of the mess hall, a mug of probably coffee in his hand.

I stepped into line behind Squid and Magnet, and after grabbing a shovel, I followed them over to a table where they each grabbed a large tortilla covered in something slimy and sticky. I frowned down at the food. Someone yanked my shovel from my hand and I looked up as X-Ray threw another down in front of me before walking off.

"You had X-Ray's shovel," Magnet explained, coming up beside me. "It's shorter than the rest of them."

"It's a stupid shovel," I mumbled, bending down to grab the one my tent mate had discarded.

Squid appeared next to me, already munching on his tortilla. "Smaller shovel, smaller hole," he said, and then walked off with Magnet.

I glowered at the tortillas for another moment before grabbing one and following the other boys. The sun was just peeking over the horizon by the time we headed out, Mr. Sir in his truck and us walking behind him. I bit into the tortilla, and felt my eyebrows rise in surprise. It wasn't half bad. The slimy sticky stuff was actually honey. Maybe breakfast would be the best part of the next eighteen months.

Mr. Sir assigned each tent and each boy a spot to dig. "Dig here, princess," he said, pointing at the ground. I looked down at the hard ground and nodded. "If you find anything interesting, you are you report it to me or Pendanski. If the warden likes what you find, you get the rest of the day off. Got it?"

"Yes, Mr. Sir," I sighed.

"Don't come back to camp until your hole is fully dug," he said, and then turned and walked back to his truck.

I looked around at the other boys, who had already started digging, before putting the tip of my shovel to the ground and stomping down on the edge, shoving the shovel into the ground. I had watched the boys do that, and then shovel up a chunk of dirt and repeat. Unfortunately, it was harder than it looked. I lost my balance and fell over. A few boys snickered and muttered something about my lack of coordination. I pushed myself off the ground and tried again, this time succeeding in not falling over. I managed to wedge the shovel under the ground and make the first dent in my hole. Half an hour later, my hole was about one foot deep and a foot and a half wide, and my hands and arms were aching. A quick look around showed that everyone else was probably twice as far as me.

The sun slowly rose in the sky, bring the heat with it. After digging out another foot, I had to unzip my suit. I had forgotten the gloves I'd been given, and I silently cursed as stuck my shovel in the ground and examined my hands. They were red, and stinging blisters were forming. With my luck, they'd probably be bleeding by the time I got the entire hole dug.

By the time the sun was directly overhead, I was knee-deep in my hole. Of course, the boys were up to their waists. The water truck pulled up next to us, and one by one my tent mates climbed out of their holes and went to stand in line. I managed to get in the middle of the line, already imagining the cool water in my mouth. Someone grabbed the sleeve of my suit and yanked me out of line and shoved me to the back.

"That's not your place in line," Squid said as he moved between X-Ray and Armpit.

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. Boys. I studied the line and realized why it was so important to them. X-Ray was the tent leader, Armpit was second in command, and Squid was third, then Zigzag, Magnet, Caveman, and Zero, and I was last. According to the ranks, I was new and therefore I was nobody. Perfect.

Pendanski took my empty jug and began filling it. "How's your first day going?"

I shrugged. "Fine."

"What about your hands?"

"They're okay," I lied, careful not to show him the blisters when I took the full jug back. I moved on to grab an apple, a sandwich, and a graham cracker like the others and then went back to sit on the edge of my tiny hole to eat. The food wasn't great, but it wasn't horrible either. It was just plain. Breakfast would definitely be the best part of the day.

As they ate, the boys talked and goofed around, and I sat by my hole in silence, watching them. They acted almost like brothers instead of seven delinquent boys stuck in a correctional facility. Sure, they each had an attitude, but then again, so does everyone. Some people are just better at hiding it. Like me.

I chewed and swallowed the last bite of my lunch, and grudgingly returned to digging. Well, at least I'd have built up my upper body strength by the time I get out. That could be a bonus. One by one, the boys climbed from their finished holes, spit in it, and headed back to camp. Surprisingly, Zero finished first. Apparently he was the fastest digger at the camp.

I stuck the end of the shovel into the ground and looked around the hole, making sure it was deep enough. Then I measured the opening and smiled. I'd done it. I'd dug my first five by five hole. And now I just wanted to lay on my cot and never move again. I turned in a circle, frowning as I realized that the edge of the hole came up to the bridge of my nose. Standing on my tippy toes, I peered out across the ground, but didn't see anyone. I swallowed, and then jumped, my hands desperately trying to grab anything as I slid back down into the hole. I looked around again, feeling a slight knot of panic in my stomach. I was stuck. In a hole. I was trapped!

I jumped up again and clawed at the ground as I slid back down. "Damn it!" Short people and deep holes did not go together. I spun and kicked the side of the hole in frustration, and then my eyes fell on the shovel. I quirked my lips to the side, thinking, and then grabbed the shovel, stuck the end in the ground near th side of the hole, and stepped on the shovel's edge. Using the shovel as leverage, I jumped again, this time getting more height, and managed to hoist myself up over the edge. I rolled onto my back and let out a sigh of relief.

These next eighteen months were going to be torturous, I just knew it.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: hey everyone, sorry this chapter is so short. i'm just trying to get to the next chapter lol and remember: reviews are much appreciated!!! please and thank you!!!

Chapter 4: _Poke_

After pulling the shovel out of the hole and grabbing my water jug, I trudged back to camp. All I could think about was a shower, and how the cool water would feel against my hot skin. I knew I probably had a light sun burn, and another few days out in the sun like today would make me look like a tomato. Now I wasn't complaining about having to take a cold shower: it would feel amazing. Back at camp, I tossed my shovel into the pile of discarded digging tools near the "library" and headed for the tent to get my towel and other jumpsuit. But as I passed the showers, I slowed, and then came to a complete stop, staring at them.

The showers had no backs, or doors. They were just three-sided stalls with shower heads and one knob in each. If I showered, I would be in complete view of anyone who walked by. I groaned and continued toward the tent, mentally scratching _shower_ off my day's to-do list. There was no way in hell I was going to shower in plain view of about fifty teenage boys. No. Way. I would just have to wait until they were all in their cots for the night, and then take a very quiet shower so as not to disturb the counselors and let them know I was out past curfew. Just great, a cold shower in the dark. My life sucked.

I ducked into the tent and sighed in relief at the shade. The tent was empty, so I took the opportunity to quickly change into the clean suit, and dumped the dirt-covered one in the spare cubbyhole on one side of the tent, along with my gloves, so I wouldn't forget them again. I turned my hands over to examine my palms, and grimaced. They were red, and little white patches were puffed up and hurt like hell. When I was little, my mom used to always tell me that blisters were nature's band-aids, and I believed that. But _damn_, they hurt!

I knew I wouldn't be able to draw until the blisters were better, because holding the pencil would hurt. So I settled for pulling my MP3 player out of my bag and slipping on the earphones. Normally, the cops search the delinquents and their bags before they get on the bus and confiscate things such as weapons and even music devices, but they didn't find mine. No one ever thinks to check a girl's cleavage to see if she's hiding anything. As long as I didn't bend over, the MP3 player remained hidden. And once I was on the bus, I was able to slip it out and into my bag. Simple. I couldn't help but smile to myself at my little stroke of genius. I spread out on my cot, turned on the MP3 player, and closed my eyes, ready to get lost in my music and forget about everything that had happened, and I slowly sank into darkness.

The foggy darkness began to clear and I felt something small repeatedly pressing into my shoulder. My finger moved over the MP3 player and clicked down the volume, but the off-and-on pressure on my shoulder didn't stop, and I realized someone was poking me. I could hear hushed voices nearby.

"Man, stop."

"Seriously, your gonna piss her off, and we don't need an angry girl around here."

Poke. Poke. Poke.

I clicked off the MP3 player. "Why are you poking me?" The pressure on my shoulder left immediately, and didn't return. I opened my eyes and squinted up at five faces peering over me. "Yeah, waking up to this isn't creepy at all." The boys stepped back as I sat up and stretched.

"I thought the cops searched everyone before bringing them to camp," Caveman said, nodding toward the MP3 player in my hand.

I shrugged and bent to grab my bag, mostly just so I wouldn't have to meet any of their gazes. "They did."

"Then how'd you get that in?" Magnet asked.

"I have my ways," I answered, flashing him a brief, sly smile. He grinned back, and I couldn't help but think how nice it was to do this: verbally banter with someone else. It had been so long since I had had someone who didn't take everything that came out of my mouth as an insult. "So who was poking me?" Squid, who had decided to lean against one of the tent poles (closest to my cot), raised a hand guiltily. "Why?"

He lifted one shoulder in a careless shrug and rolled the toothpick between his lips. "I was bored."

My smile slipped away and I looked down at the floor. What the hell was wrong with me? At school I did everything I could to avoid conversation, and avoid my classmates. But here, it was different. It was weird, but there was something about this place and the people that made me feel like I didn't have to be quiet. There was something about this place that made me _not_ want to be quiet. It had been years since I'd had that feeling, and honestly, it was a little scary.

"Why do you do that?" Magnet asked.

"Do what?"

"Always look at the ground."

I glanced up at him and then back down and shrugged. "I don't know." Because I'd learned that keeping my head down and mouth shut kept me out of trouble.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: _Take One for the Tent_

When the horn sounded the next morning and I woke up, my entire body felt like it had been hit by a truck. An eighteen-wheeler to be more exact. Muscles that I didn't even know I had hurt! I slowly slid off the cot, wincing with every movement. I tried not to let the pain show, but I knew I didn't do a good job at that based on the looks the boys cast my way. They didn't offer words of encouragement or a helping hand, which said that I was on my own. A few times Caveman opened his mouth, but then closed it. Yep, I was on my own. So I (painfully) changed into my work clothes and slowly made my way out of the tent, remembering to grab my gloves before leaving.

If simply moving off the cot was painful, it was nothing compared to the torture of digging. At first, I felt like crying because stomping on the shovel and then lifting the dirt not only made my body shake, but made my muscles scream in protest. My eyes watered and I had to blink back the moisture before any of the boys saw. Then I'd probably never hear the end of it. The gloves helped, barely. By the time I was done, everyone had returned to the camp, and I just slid down the side of my second hole and sat there with my eyes closed, not even caring that the Texas heat and the bright, hot sun were bearing down on me.

Thankfully, by the end of my seventh day at Camp Green Lake, my muscles had become used to the physical work, and my body had adjusted to being out in the heat all day every day. So when the horn rang out the morning of the eighth, I (still grudgingly) climbed out of bed, pulled on the stupid orange jumpsuit, pulled my hair back in a ponytail, and trudged out to get a shovel.

The day crawled by slowly. I had gotten a little faster at digging, but I was still no match for my tent mates, or any of the campers. I just couldn't understand how Zero, the shortest kid at camp, was the one who always finished first! Pendanski drove the water truck for the first run, and after it left, I sat on the edge of my hole, taking a little break. When the water truck came the second time, bringing our lunch, I was probably a third of the way done with my hole. I lined up (at the end of the line) and patiently waited my turn. I watched the boys move from the back of the truck down the side, grabbing their food, and felt a frown crease my forehead when Magnet slowed as he passed the driver's side window, which was rolled down, and peered in.

"Next!" Mr. Sir called, and startling me. Realizing that I was the last to need my water jug filled, I silently handed it over, but when I looked back, Magnet was back at his hole.

I quickly grabbed my lunch and Mr. Sir climbed into his truck and drove off, and I returned to my hole, suddenly hungry.

"Hey, guys," Magnet called, grinning as he bent down for something in his hole. "Want some sunflower seeds?" His statement was met by chuckles and cheers.

"Man, I thought you learned your lesson the first time," Armpit said, already climbing out of his hole to grab the bag.

Magnet shrugged as he dug his hand into the bag and pulled out a handful of seeds, and then tossed it to Armpit. "I've told you, man, my hands are like magnets. I can't help it."

I couldn't help but grin as I watched the boys pass the bag from one to the other, taking handfuls as they went. Dust rose in the distance, and my grin fell away when I saw the water truck screeching back toward us.

"He's coming back!" Squid yelled, looking a little panicked. But his expression was nothing compared to Magnet's, who looked almost terrified.

The bag flew through the air, to no one in particular, but closest to me. I scrambled out of my half dug hole and snatched it out of the air before it could spill.

One of the boys yelled, "Hide it!"

I stuffed it into the front of my suit and zipped it in. My heart was beating rapidly at the thought of what Mr. Sir would do if he caught me with it. The truck came to skidding stop a little over five feet from my hole, and Mr. Sir slowly climbed out, his eyes narrowed as they swept over each member of D-tent. He walked past me, peered into my hole, and moved on, examining each hole as he passed, and eying each boy suspiciously. The boys had instantly returned to digging, trying to look busy and not guilty, but I could see Magnet's eyes tracking Mr. Sir's movements.

I swallowed. "Is there a problem, Mr. Sir?" Zigzag and Caveman looked up at me, and X-Ray shot me a warning glare.

Mr. Sir spared me a brief look before returning to his search. "Just looking for the thief who stole my sunflower seeds," he growled, taking a little longer in his examination of Caveman's hole.

His back was currently to me, so I took that opportunity to yank the bag from my suit and toss it into the open window of his truck. "Sunflower seeds?"

He whirled to glare at me. "Don't act stupid, princess. Who stole it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said calmly, keeping his gaze. He stalked toward me, and I stepped back, somehow knowing that he was about to lash out at me for being the one to call his attention. The boys slowly stopped digging and were watching intently.

He raised a finger and wagged it at me. "Who. Stole. My. Seeds?"

"No one," I said, and felt the side of the truck press against my back. I was trapped, and he was pissed. I looked in the window and quickly turned back to him. "Sir, the bag is in your truck."

"No it's not!" he snapped angrily. "I know one of you stole it! Caveman confessed to it last time, though I _know_ it was one of the others."

"Mr. Sir, really," I started, and reached into the window, grabbed the bag, and pulled it out to show him. "See?" Mr. Sir came to a dead stop, staring incredulously at the bag of seeds in my hand. "You must not have seen it," I said with a little shrug. I moved to return the bag to the truck and felt something slip down my leg. Frowning, I jiggled my leg a little, and when I moved my foot, my heart stopped beating and my body went cold.

A few seeds had fallen out of the bag while it was in my suit, and they had just fallen out of my pant leg. I looked up and met Mr. Sir's narrowed eyes. Craaaap.

"Well how did those get in your pant leg?" he asked, pointing at the seeds on the ground.

My eyes dropped to the ground and then quickly darted to Magnet and away, and felt a sudden urge to be a smartass, something I hadn't felt in a while. I shrugged and returned my gaze to his. "Oops. Guess you caught me." I tossed the bag through the truck's window. "Don't worry, there's plenty left. I only had a few handfuls." I pinched the front of my suit and shook it, and felt a few more seeds drop out of my pant leg. "Remind me next time not to hide an open bag in my jumper, or at least to make sure it's closed." I gave him my best cheeky grin, and suppressed a laugh at his angry face.

"I think the warden would like to have a little talk with you," Mr. Sir said, walking toward his truck. I bent to grab my water jug and shovel. "Leave those. You'll need them when you come back to finish your hole."

"Oh, damn, and here I was hoping to get out of digging," I sighed dramatically. Mr. Sir crooked his finger at me, and I went around to climb into the passenger side of the truck. The last thing I saw before Mr. Sir peeled away from the holes was the D-tent boys staring after me.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: hey guys!!! well, it u made it this far then u must like the story, which i am very happy about. BUT the best way to show ur appreciation is to review and comment!!! well, enjoy!!!**

Chapter 6: _The Warden and Smiles_

When the truck came to a skidding halt in front of the warden's cabin, my heart's beating accelerated. I had sort of expected him to pull me away from the guys and yell or something. Not actually bring me to the warden. But non-the-less, I climbed out of the truck, portraying a completely calm exterior, and followed Mr. Sir up the steps. He knocked twice, and we waited.

The door's inside curtain fluttered, and the door opened, revealing a somewhat stern-looking woman with curly red hair. Wow, I actually wasn't the only girl at this camp. Cool air poured out of the cabin, and I took a small step forward, attempting to get closer to the cold. "What?" she asked, her southern accent drawing the word out a bit, looking from Mr. Sir to me and back.

"You might want to have a little talk with our newest camper," Mr. Sir said, sending me a glare. "Seems she thinks she's an exception to the rules here." I glared right back and heard the warden sigh.

"Come in," she said impatiently. "You're letting the cold out." She stepped back and I followed the grouchy man across the threshold. She door shut behind us and I turned to face the two adults.

"What happened?" the warden asked, eying me.

"Tell her," Mr. Sir said.

I breathed in. "While Mr. Sir was filling our canteens and passing out our lunches, I stole his sunflower seeds," I said, my voice steady and calm. Inside, I grinned. I had always been a pretty good liar.

Annoyance slipped into the warden's expression, and she turned to Mr. Sir. "You need to quit whining about your damn sunflower seeds. If you don't want them stolen, then leave them in your office." She turned to me. "And you. I did you a favor by letting you come here. Without me, you would be in jail right now. So I suggest you shape up, or there will be consequences. Just because you're a girl doesn't mean I'll go easy on you. You will be treated just like every other camper. No exceptions. Understand?"

Again, the smartass in me burst to life. I snapped my feet together and put my hand to my forehead, saluting her. "Ma'am, yes, ma'am. I will be on my best behavior."

The warden's eyes hardened and she took one small step toward me, her hands resting on her hips, and said in a silky, no-nonsense voice, "Excuse me?"

My hand dropped to my side, but I held her gaze. "I understand."

She nodded slowly and said in the same no-nonsense voice, "Good. Then I suggest you return to your hole now."

I nodded and left, silently cursing as soon as I hit the invisible wall of heat outside. Figures they'd make me walk all the way back to my hole. A few boys had already returned, and they eyed me suspiciously when they saw me leaving the warden's cabin. During my long walk back out onto the dry lake bed, I scanned the little scenery there was. My fingers itched to pick up a pencil and move it across paper. Drawing had always been a stress-reliever, or a way to think. My sketchbook was like my journal, except I didn't express myself in words. I did it with images.

Why had I taken the blame? Why had I even tried to help the boys? It's not like they've ever done anything for me. And why the hell had I been a smartass? Why had I even opened my mouth when Mr. Sir had been looking. I knew better. Whenever I opened my mouth, I always ended up making a smartass comment, and I always got in trouble for it. Just like now! That's why I never talked at school. I'd made that mistake a few times, and paid the price. So I had learned to keep my thoughts and comments to myself. But Camp Green Lake was screwing with me.

"Look who's back," someone said, pulling me out of my thoughts. Wow, I was already back at my hole. It looked like the boys were just about done, and Zero was already gone.

"Hey, new girl! What'd you say?" Magnet asked, sticking his shovel in the ground and watching me.

I shrugged and I jumped into my half-dug hole and grabbed my shovel, aware that all eyes from D-tent were on me. I hated attention. Was it me, or was it suddenly hotter out? "You're not in trouble. Relax."

"What'd you say?" Magnet repeated.

"What's it matter? You're not in trouble, so drop it."

"What did you tell her?" X-Ray pitched in.

"The same thing I told Mr. Sir," I snapped. "None of you are in trouble, so don't worry." And for a good five minutes, they dropped it.

"What'd she do to you?" Zigzag asked.

"Nothing. Just gave me a lecture."

"Why'd you lie?" Squid asked.

I threw another shovel-full of dirt out of the hole before answering. "I don't know." And that was the truth.

One by one, the boys climbed out of their holes and headed back to camp. Magnet paused by my hole. "Thanks, chica."

I looked up and met his gaze briefly. "Your welcome." And then I returned to digging. After what felt like three hours, I climbed out of my hole (I had gotten pretty good at that) and trudged back to the camp. The jumpsuit stuck to me like a second skin, and if my hair hadn't been pulled into a ponytail, I knew it would have been plastered to my head from sweat. I tossed my shovel into the pile by the "library" and headed to the tent, wanting nothing more than to fall onto my cot and not move again. Just because my body was getting used to the physical work didn't mean it had stopped hurting.

I ducked into the empty tent, knowing the boys were probably in the wreck room, and quickly changed into my other jumpsuit. Then, I pulled out my sketchbook and pencil and laid down on my cot on my stomach, and flipped to a blank page. My pencil was already moving before I could really think about what to draw. Every now and then I'd use my finger to smudge some of the pencil marks, creating shadows. In fact, I didn't even really notice what I was drawing until I was just about done. I raised an eyebrow. Huh.

There, in black and white on the page, were the boys of D-tent. Zigzag and his crazy hair, leaning on his shovel; Zero, already climbing out of his hole; X-Ray and his large glasses, sitting on the edge of his hole; Armpit chugging water while standing in his hole; Caveman leaning against the side of his hole; Magnet clutching a bag and grinning at the others; Squid leaning back on his forearms on the side of his hole, chewing on a toothpick.

There were voices outside, and then Squid, Magnet, and Zigzag ducked into the tent. They each spared me a nod of recognition as they dropped down on their own cots.

"Whatcha doing?" Squid asked, leaning closer to try and get a peek.

I flipped the sketchbook shut quickly and gave him a small smile. "Nothing."

"Oh really?" he asked, already reaching out. "Can I see?"

"Nope." I stuffed the sketchbook into my bag and kicked it under my cot.

"Now _I _wanna know what's in there," Magnet chimed in, sliding to the edge of his cot.

"It's nothing," I insisted, yet unable to keep a smile off my face. "Just some sketches is all."

"Oooh! Really?" Magnet asked, his eyes suddenly bright with interest. "Please can we see?"

"No," I laughed.

"Why not?" Zigzag asked, frowning.

"Because it's private," I answered.

"Private," Squid repeated, somehow making the word sound dirtier than I'd meant as one side of his mouth lifted up in a lopsided grin.

I felt my cheeks heat slightly. "Not like that."

"Like what?" he asked, still grinning.

I rolled my eyes, but grinned back. Wow, I was smiling a lot all of a sudden. "Just forget it."

"Come on, just a little peek?" Squid pleaded.

Before I could answer, Magnet plopped down next to me and threw an arm over my shoulders. "Just drop it, Squid."

"Why are you taking her side?" Squid whined, staring at the Hispanic and trying to look betrayed.

Magnet shrugged. "She did take the blame for me." I nodded as Squid rolled his eyes. The dinner bell rang, and I walked with the three boys to the mess hall, shaking my head and smiling as they shoved each other and joked around.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: hey guys! thanks 4 the reviews, keep 'em coming!!!**

Chapter 7: _Late Night Chat_

After dinner, I walked back to the tent with the boys, listening to them shove each other around and laugh and joke. I ducked into the tent and quickly moved to my cot as the boys filed in. Squid pulled out a deck of cards and settled on a cot with Armpit and X-Ray to play a game. Zero and Caveman sat on their cots to watch, while Magnet and Zigzag crouched on the floor on either side of the card game, waiting to be dealt in.

"So Peyton," Armpit started. I looked at him to show I was listening. "How is it that you never shower, but you don't stink?"

I nearly fell off my cot laughing, and his confused expression just made it seem funnier. "What makes you think I don't shower?" I asked when I had gotten my laughter under control.

"Well... we never see you over at the showers," Armpit answered with a little shrug.

I nodded. "And that's the point. I shower when no one can see."

Armpit frowned. "When's that?"

"Oh yeah, like I'm going to tell a tent full of hormonal teenage boys when I shower," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Hey, we shower when you can see," Magnet said.

"The difference is I don't look when you shower," I said.

"Are you saying that we would watch you when you shower if you didn't do it in secret?" Squid asked, glancing over at me.

"Yes," I answered simply.

"I bet there's another reason she showers in secret," Zigzag said, eying me suspiciously.

"What's that?" Magnet asked.

"She's trying to contact the CIA and send them information on the camp," Zigzag replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Again, I nearly rolled off my cot as I laughed, and tears trickled down my cheeks. Even the boys were chuckling. I gasped for air and managed to get myself under control and look at Zigzag without breaking down into giggles. "Zig, I'm not trying to contact the government."

"That's what you _want _us to think," Zigzag said. "Why else would they send a girl to Camp Green Lake?"

I clamped my mouth shut as my body shook from suppressed laughter.

"Don't listen to him," Squid said, shaking his head at his tent mate. "He suffers from acute paranoia."

Zigzag rolled his eyes and returned his attention to the card game. "Whatever, guys."

When it was time for lights out, I climbed under the sheet on my cot and snuggled into a comfortable position facing the tent's opening, listening to the boys get themselves settled. I stared out at the dark, moonlit camp, and after a while, heard the boys' breathing even out as they fell asleep. I lay there a little while longer, and then quietly climbed from my cot. I blindly found my towel and two tokens, and slipped out of the tent.

Even though the moon was only half full, the moonlight bathed everything in a silvery glow. My eyes quickly scanned the area as my ears strained to hear any sound of voices, making sure everyone was asleep before I ventured farther. The lights in the counselor's cabins were off, and the warden's cabin was dark. I made my way over to the showers, and, after checking to make sure there weren't any animals hiding around the stalls, hung up my towel. I silently stripped out of my clothes and dropped the tokens into the slot. A moment later, cold water sprayed out of the shower head. After a second of hesitation, I stepped under the spray, shivering at the cold. I squirted some shampoo into my hand and lathered my hair. I had gotten pretty fast at showering, which I was proud of. When the shampoo had been completely rinsed out, I lathered my body with soap, and then let the water chase away the foam. Another thing that sucked about the camp was there was no conditioner. So my hair always had snarls after a shower.

The water shut off just as I was reaching for my towel. Perfect timing. I towel dried my hair and then wiped the water droplets from my body. Hmm, I was going to have to shave tomorrow. I yanked on my night clothes and started back to the tent, feeling much better now that I was clean. I glanced back at the showers to check that I hadn't forgotten anything, and when I turned back to face the tent I jumped and let out a startled squeak.

"You're busted," Squid grinned, leaning casually against one of the outer tent poles by the opening. His hair was ruffled from sleep, and his tee shirt hugged his torso, while his boxers hung perfectly from his hips.

"Don't scare me like that!" I hissed, crossing my arms. His grin grew. "What are you doing anyways?"

"Well you know us hormonal teenage boys. We'll do anything to get a glimpse of a naked girl."

"Oh, shut up," I said with a roll of my eyes. "Seriously, what are you doing up?"

"I heard you leave the tent and wanted to make sure you weren't going to get into trouble," Squid replied with a little shrug. I raised an eyebrow, and he flashed me that lopsided grin.

I gently pushed past him into the dark tent and hung my wet towel on one of the crates so it could dry. Then I pulled out my comb and began slowly picking the snarls out of my hair. I saw his dark form sink onto his cot. "Well I'm safe, so you can go back to bed."

"So you shower every night when everyone else is sleeping?" Squid asked, keeping his voice low so as not to wake the others.

"Apparently not everyone was asleep this time," I said, wincing as the comb caught on a small knot of hair. "How do you know Zigzag has acute paranoia?"

"Read his file," Squid answered nonchalantly.

"You what? How?"

"They don't lock the filing cabinets, probably 'cause they think none of the boys would try to read any files." His dark outline shrugged.

"What made you even try?"

He shrugged again. "I was bored."

"Nice." I dropped the comb into my bag and slid under the sheet on my cot. "Well, we should get some sleep. Gotta get up before the crack of dawn!" I pulled the sheet up around me and closed my eyes, and heard Squid settling onto his cot.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: hey guys!!! thanks so much for the reviews, i'm glad u enjoy the story! i'll try to update sooner, i promise!!!! keep the reviews coming, i love** **them!!!!**

Chapter 8: _Just a Little Fun_

The morning came all too soon, and I tried my best to ignore that damn trumpet by pulling the sheet and blanket over my head and squeezing my eyes shut, trying to slip back into a dark slumber. I could hear the boys climbing out of their beds and starting to move around, knowing I should be doing the same. But I really didn't want to. Just then, the sheet was ripped from my grasp.

"Get up, new girl," X-Ray said.

Instead, I curled into a ball on my side, keeping my eyes shut.

"Get up, chica," Magnet laughed.

I still didn't move.

"Get up, or we'll make you," Squid said.

I blindly stuck my middle finger up in the direction of his voice, and the boys laughed. They wouldn't make me. They'd just leave and wait for Mr. Sir to come get me. Granted, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to have Mr. Sir drag me out of the tent, but if it gave me a little extra sleep, then I was all for it. Seriously, did they really expect me to believe that they would actually try to get me u–

The cot tipped, and I flailed helplessly as gravity took over and I rolled off the pathetic mattress and landed, hard, on the cold floor. I gasped and finally opened my eyes, slightly dazed. I looked up to see Squid and Armpit righting my bed and tossing my sheet and blanket on my pillow. "Ouch!" I snapped, pushing myself up. "What the hell was that for?"

"Told you we'd make you get up," Squid said with a little shrug as he turned and reached for his jumpsuit.

I glared at his back for another minute before snatching my own suit and yanking it on over my night clothes, and then maneuvered my way out of my night shorts and tank top and into a fresh white tee shirt over a jog bra. "You didn't have to _dump_ me out of the bed." Tomorrow morning, I was going to give those two a nice morning surprise. I grinned to myself as I followed the boys out of the tent.

As I trudged back to the tent after digging, I looked over at the warden's cabin. Did she ever leave that building? Probably not, since I had never seen her outside, or even in the mess hall. She probably had a huge fridge and a ton of cupboards full of actual food so she wouldn't have to eat the crap they served us delinquents. Once in the tent, I quickly yanked off my work suit and stepped into my "relaxation" suit. I tied the sleeves around my waist and began searching for a new shirt. There were voices outside, and then Zigzag and Squid ducked into the tent.

"Whoa! What are you doing?" Zigzag asked, startled.

"Changing," I answered, turning so they couldn't see my front, and my flushing face. Figures they'd walk in when I my upper body was only covered by a jog bra. I snatched a spare blue tank from my bag and yanked it over my head. When I turned, I saw them heading back outside, towels slung over their shoulders.

Zigzag paused and looked back at me. "Aren't you going to shower?"

Squid smacked the back of his head. "Remember? She only showers when no one knows." He flashed me a knowing smirk. "At least, when most people don't know."

I rolled my eyes, fighting a smile. "Go take your showers." A few minutes after they left, Magnet and X-Ray ducked into the tent. "Hey."

"Hey," they greeted.

"Hanging out in this tent all the time is unhealthy," Magnet said. "Come hang out in the wreck room."

I swallowed. "Nah, I'm good."

X-Ray rolled his eyes. "Don't be so antisocial."

Magnet grabbed my wrist and pulled me outside. "Come on, chica. Let's play some pool."

I laughed and let him drag me out into the hot sun, X-Ray chuckling as he followed. In the wreck room, boys lounged around, played foosball, bowled on a makeshift bowling lane, or watched the fuzzy screen of an old TV. A few were working out on the weight machine. Surprisingly, the pool table was free. Magnet grabbed two pool sticks while X-Ray racked up the balls. Caveman and Zero wandered over to watch, and a few minutes later so did Armpit. X-Ray broke, sending a couple balls into pockets, and then aimed and sank another. He missed his next shot, and stepped back to let Magnet play.

Magnet handed me his pool stick. "You play."

"Uh, no," I said, pushing it back to him.

"Why not?"

"'Cause I don't want to," I answered. "You go."

"Do you know how to play?" Armpit asked.

"Of course I do," I said, smiling. "I just don't feel like playing."

Magnet shrugged and took his shot, then another. I let my eyes move around the room, studying everything. One boy was lounging in a chair, lazily watching the others, reminding me of a king watching his servants. I turned back to the game and watched X-Ray make his winning shot. They racked up the balls again just as Squid and Zigzag were walking over.

"Hey Squid, feel like a game?" X-Ray asked.

Squid shrugged. "Alright." He took Magnet's pool stick as X-Ray broke. "Why isn't the new girl playing?"

I rolled my eyes. "Hey guys, the new girl has a name."

"Sorry, _Peyton_. Why aren't you playing?" Squid asked as he leaned over the table and made a shot, followed by another, and another.

"'Cause I don't want to," I said, leaning against the wall and folding my arms. Squid glanced up at me briefly, shrugged, and sank another ball. An hour later, the trumpet sounded, signaling that it was time to return to our tents. I watched the boys pick up their game, and then walked with them back to the tent as the sun's last rays reached up from behind the mountains.

"Let's play a game," Magnet said as he plopped down on his cot.

"What game?" Zigzag asked.

The mischievous grin on Magnet's face made my stomach flip. "Truth or dare." Each boy looked at me, and agreed. Well, now I was a little afraid. What the hell would they ask me, or make me do?

"Magnet, you start," X-Ray said.

Thankfully, Magnet chose Zigzag as the first victim. When it was Zig's turn, he chose Armpit. The boys didn't even look my way again as the game went on. Why, I have no idea, and I couldn't decide if I was happy about that or not. Maybe because I didn't voice an agreement to the game, they had thought that I didn't want to play, and therefore weren't going to force me? That was possible. Perhaps they felt that if I wanted to play, I'd ask or speak up or something. Maybe I would be able to just sit and watch and not have to answer any questions or do some stupid or... or sexual dare. Maybe they'd just leave me be.

"Peyton," Magnet called.

Damn it. I swallowed my sudden nervousness and looked at him. "Yeah?"

"Truth or dare?"

Hmm, that was hard. What kind of question would they ask me? But if I chose dare, what would they make me do? Which one would I be able to handle better? "Uh, truth."

"Are you a virgin?" he asked, and all the boys looked at me, including Zero.

I stared at him, dumbfounded. Out of all the questions in the world, he had asked me _that_? I could feel my face warming, and I swallowed again. "Yes."

"Seriously?" Squid asked, raising both eyebrows.

"Yes," I repeated, rolling my eyes in an attempt to cover up my discomfort.

"Why?" Armpit asked, and X-Ray smacked the back of his head. "Ow!"

I couldn't help but let out a small laugh and shake my head. "Just because. I went to school with a bunch of jerks, and was more annoyed by them than attracted to them." I shrugged.

That seemed to satisfy them, and the game moved on. But of course, I should have known that now that I had been involved once, I could still be a target.

"Peyton," Squid said, and flashed me a dangerously playful grin. "Truth or dare?"

Something told me that this would be worse than Magnet's question. Now that they knew about my virginity, I mentally squirmed at the thought of some of the things they'd ask or have me do. But there was a twinkle in his eyes that was it's own private taunt. So, I bucked up my courage. "Dare."

His grin grew, and I had the sudden feeling that I'd made the wrong choice. "I dare you to sneak into Mr. Sir's office and steal his bag of sunflower seeds."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: love the reviews! keep them coming!!! :) Enjoy! and also, a few of u have asked if i'm going to stick to the original story, and yes, i'm going to try. things just might happen a little earlier or later than in the book/movie. **

Chapter 9: _The Dare_

I blinked. That wasn't the kind of dare I was expecting. "Now?"

Squid rolled his eyes. "No, next week. Yes, now."

"But everyone's still awake! I'll get caught!" I said. Was he stupid? Did he _want_ me to get busted?

"But Mr. Sir and the counselors are in their tent, which means his office is free."

"How do you know he's in the tent?" I asked.

"He always goes back to the tent after dinner," X-Ray piped up.

I stared at him, then at Squid. They were serious. They actually expected me to do the dare. I clenched and unclenched my jaw, thinking. If I didn't do the dare, they'd all think I was a chicken. But if I did the dare and got caught, I would have another meeting with the warden, which definitely wouldn't be good. I looked around at the boys, and suddenly understood. This was a test. A test for what, I had no idea. But they expected me to fail, I could see it in their eyes. They figured I'd either say no or I'd get caught. I took a deep breath. "Fine." I stood and walked to the tent flap and peered out. When I didn't see anyone, I clenched my jaw, and slipped out into the night.

As soon as my foot touched the ground, my heart began beating extremely fast. Surely, someone was going to hear it. I swallowed a sudden urge to turn and bolt back into the tent, and slowly crept along the side of the tent, then darted to the next tent. My palms were already damp with sweat. Biting my bottom lip, I looked around, and then raced to the next tent, praying that none of the boys would see me and come out. That was the last thing I needed. Just as I dove into the shadow of the third tent, I caught a glimpse of one of the counselors walking out of their tent.

"Lights out!" he yelled, and then all lights shut down, drowning the camp in darkness. I peeked around the corner, and watched him turn and walk back into the tent, and a few minutes later, another man followed and disappeared inside the dark tent. I waited a few more minutes, giving the counselors time to get into their beds, and then ran to the next tent, and then the next

Mr. Sir's office was diagonal from me, on the other side of the camp, with the showers and the water spouts the only hiding places. I just had to get to them without being seen. I breathed in, took one last look around, and sprinted out into the open. I felt so exposed, that I literally dove into one of the stalls, and had the sudden feeling that I had been spotted and someone was about to step in front of me and kill any chance I had of getting to the office. But as the minutes ticked by, and the camp stayed quiet, I began to relax the slightest bit. I leaned around the shower stall, checked that the coast was clear, took a deep breath, and then darted toward the dark building. I slowed and crept up the wooden steps to the door, surrounded by shadows, my pulse racing with excitement. I had done it, and no one had seen me.

My fingers closed around the cold door knob, and I turned it and pushed. Nothing. The knob didn't turn. I tried again, but still nothing. Locked. I looked up at the door, and then around the camp, feeling extremely exposed again. How could it be locked? It couldn't be locked, I needed to get in! My palms began sweating again and I swallowed a small wave of panic. If I returned to D-tent without the seeds saying that the door was locked, they'd all laugh me out of the camp, and I would have failed. I couldn't fail. Not now. I was so close! I looked around, and found a window. But when I ran my hand over it, I realized that there was a screen.

"Damn it!" I hissed, running a hand through my hair. I leaned over the railing, and saw another window. So I dashed down the steps and over to the side of the building. It was higher than the other one, and I had nothing to step up on to reach. I reached up, and my fingers grazed the window ledge. I took a few steps back, and then ran and jumped, desperately clawing at the ledge and hauling myself up. My arms shook from the effort, and my feet scraped against the wall. Somehow I managed to press my hand against the window, and my spirits rose dramatically when my fingers met glass instead of a screen. I pushed up, and couldn't stop a huge smile when the window slowly opened.

The hand supporting my weight slipped, and I lost it and fell. But that didn't phase me. I jumped back up and again hoisted myself up to the window, pushing the window up all the way. I grabbed the edge of the inside sill, and pulled myself up and through, my stomach scraping painfully across the ledge. I tumbled through the window and landed painfully on the floor. I laid there for a few minutes, listening, waiting for the office door to bang open and have an absolutely pissed off Mr. Sir stomping toward me. But all was quiet.

I slowly clamored to my feet and looked around the dark office, letting my eyes adjust. At least outside, there was a little moonlight to help me see. When I could make out shapes and outlines of objects, I began searching for the bag. Finally, I found it under the desk. I dashed back to the window, tossed the seeds out, and then climbed up on ledge and jumped down. The graceful girl that I am, I stumbled and fell face-forward on the ground. But I scrambled up, jumped up to the ledge and pulled the window down and closed, and then dropped back down. After stuffing the bag into my suit and zipping it in, I ran back to the tent.

I ducked under the flap, breathing heavily, and fell back onto my cot, feeling extremely pleased with myself.

"I don't see the bag," Squid said from his cot. I looked around and noticed the dark figures of the boys, all sitting up on their cots. I grinned and let my head fall back onto the pillow. "You didn't get it, did you?"

"The door was locked," I stated.

"It took you that long to realize the door was locked?" Magnet laughed, and the other boys joined in.

I unzipped my suit and pulled out the bag, holding it up for them to see. The laughing stopped. "The door was locked, but the side window wasn't."

"Damn," Magnet muttered.

It was my turn to laugh, but it didn't last long. I was exhausted. Climbing through a window was hard work, especially after digging a giant hole a few hours previous. I didn't even have the energy for a shower. So I rolled out of bed, stripped off the suit, and pulled on my night clothes. I kicked the seed bag under my cot behind my own bag, and then climbed onto the cot. "Night guys." They mumbled responses, and I smiled. Not only had I completed the dare, but I had clearly shocked my tent mates. Now all I had to do was make sure I woke up before the others.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: alright everyone, enjoy! and remember to review and comment!!! :)**

Chapter 10: _Sly as a Fox_

As tired as I was, I didn't get much sleep. I kept waking myself up, afraid to fall into too deep a sleep and miss my chance. Finally, when it felt like it was about time, I slipped from my cot and pulled on my boots, then quietly left the tent. The cool night air had warmed up some since the last time I'd been outside, signaling that dawn was almost here. So keeping my body low, I ran back to Mr. Sir's office, and opened the side window. I clamored through and as soon as I could make out dark objects, I began looking. While I had been looking for the seeds, I had found two somewhat small buckets. They were perfect.

Once I found them, I climbed back through the window after tossing them out and ran to the water spouts, grinning all the way. Squid and Armpit were going to be sooo mad at me. After filling the buckets enough, I quietly carried them back to D-tent, careful not to slosh the water too much. I could hear the counselors stirring awake. Perfect timing. Luckily, Squid's and Armpit's cots were opposite each other, so all I had to do was stand at the end of them. I set one bucket at the foot of each bed and waited.

Minutes ticked by, until finally I heard the first tune from the horn. I grabbed the first bucket and flung the water at Armpit, who gasped and shot up instantly; without missing a beat, I dropped the empty bucket and grabbed the next, flinging the water at Squid, who jumped and yelped. "Wake up, boys!" I yelled, and then fell onto my cot laughing. Cot springs groaned as everyone in the tent awoke, and slowly snickers surrounded the two wet boys. Squid and Armpit glared at me, but all that did was make me laugh even harder. "Don't ever dump me out of bed again," I scolded, wagging my finger at them.

They shared a look, and then lunged at me. I shrieked and fell backwards off my cot to avoid being crushed. But all that really did was make me an easier target. The two boys reached over the cot and seized my arms, yanking me up and dragging me over to them. They shared another look, and then grinned in unison. That could _not_ be good.

They started dragging me toward the tent's opening, and my eyes widened. "Guys, let go!"

"Peyton, you look a little dirty. I think you need a shower," Squid said casually.

"No way!" I tried to rip my arms from their grasp, but it was useless. Little me fighting two strong boys who had spent the last six months, at least, digging holes and building up their muscles, that was no contest. My struggles didn't seem to phase them in the least. "Magnet! X-Ray! Zigzag!" I yelled desperately. "Help!" My only answer was laughter. Of course. I was on my own.

I planted my feet and leaned back and down into a crouching position, pulling myself in the opposite direction. Armpit rolled his eyes, gave a brief nod at Squid, and let go. My brief moment of relief fled as soon as Squid bent and scooped me up onto his shoulder. I wriggled and squirmed in his grip, and then just grabbed one of the wooden tent poles and held on tight.

"Let go, Peyton," Squid said.

"Hell no," I answered as I tried to use the pole to pull myself away from him.

"Peyton," Squid said, sounding slightly annoyed. He tugged me back, but I held on firmly to the pole. He sighed, his grip loosening the tiniest bit, and I took that chance to yank myself toward the pole. It caught him off guard, and I slipped through his grasp and dropped onto the floor. I jumped to my feet and whirled to face him, slowly backing away.

"Alright, children," X-Ray sighed. "We need to get outside before Mr. Sir comes in looking for us."

Once we were dressed, I walked outside with the others, keeping my distance from Squid and Armpit, and after surreptitiously dropping the two buckets near the water spouts, picked a shovel and tortilla. We filled our water jugs and headed out onto the "lake". After assigning our spots to dig, Mr. Sir moved on, leaving us alone. From the corner of my eye, I watched Squid and Armpit (who were conveniently digging beside each other) whisper back and forth, every now and then glancing my way. Yeah, that wasn't making me paranoid at all.

"Scared?"

I looked over at Magnet, who was watching me. "What?"

"Are you scared about what their planning?" he clarified, nodding toward the two boys.

"Nah. Just curious," I said with a shrug. Well, okay that half true. I really was curious, but yes, I was also a little afraid. Who knew what sorts of things those two were discussing. I frowned slightly when X-Ray climbed out of his hole and went over to them. Squid and Armpit nodded, and X-Ray moved on to Zigzag, who also nodded. "Really curious now," I added quietly.

Just like previous days, the sun rose slowly as we dug. An hour or two passed, and Zero left his hole and started digging with Caveman. The other boys cast each other confused looks, but didn't say anything. When the sun was just about overhead, the water truck arrived for the second time, bringing lunch as well. I climbed out of my hole and lined up behind Zero, who was quietly talking with Caveman. I stretched my fingers, which were starting to cramp from all the digging, as I waited my turn for water.

"You wouldn't know anything about my missing bag of sunflower seeds, would you?" Mr. Sir asked as soon as he started filling my water jug.

I swallowed a grin and shook my head. "No, Mr. Sir." He screwed on the top to my water jug and straightened up, glaring at me. "Honestly, I have no idea," I said, feigning innocence. I mean seriously, what kind of an idiot would I be if I told him about the dare? After a few minutes of eying me, he handed me the water.

"Then you won't have any problem with me searching D-tent when I get back," he said, narrowing his eyes.

My pulse raced and I forced my face to remain neutral. "No, Mr. Sir. Have at it." I moved past him to get my lunch and walked back to my hole as calmly as I could, aware that my tent mates were all watching me. I situated myself on the edge of my one-third dug hole and took a bite of my apple as Mr. Sir climbed into his truck and pulled away. Thirty seconds later, I jumped to my feet. "Shit!"

"Damn," X-Ray mumbled, leaning against his shovel and shaking his head. "We're all dead."

I fisted my hair with both hands and stared after the truck, hot panic rising inside me. And then I just started running toward the camp. The boys yelled to me, asking what I was doing and calling me back, but I ignored them. If Mr. Sir found his seeds... I couldn't even think of the consequences. It suddenly felt like the lake bed stretched on and on as I ran, and having to avoid hazardous holes slowed me down a lot. But I couldn't stop. I had to beat Mr. Sir to the tent. I _had_ to.

By the time I got to the camp, I was gasping for air and had a painful stitch in my side. I slowed and looked around, and spotted Mr. Sir's truck in the garage. But Mr. Sir was nowhere to be seen. I dashed to the tent, keeping a careful eye out for any and all counselors. At the tent, I peeked in, and frowned. He wasn't there. I ducked under the flap and rushed to my cot, and snatched the bag from under it. Where the hell was I going to hide it? Clutching the bag, I moved to the tent flap and peered out, and my heart stopped for a second.

Mr. Sir was stalking toward the tent. Toward me.

I stumbled backwards, turned, and dove into the corner, near Magnet's cot, stuffing the bag into my suit and zipping it in, again. My breathing was uneven, and I tried my best to keep as quiet as possible. Mr. Sir's shadow appeared before the actual man, who stepped in and went directly to my cot. As he rummaged around and through my things, I slowly moved toward the tent's opening, and once I was there, I bolted.

Outside, I made a beeline to Mr. Sir's office. Thankfully, it was unlocked and open. I raced inside, dropped the bag onto his desk, and ran back to the door and outside. I jumped down the steps and began sprinting back out onto the lake bed, desperately hoping no one would see me. Hopefully Mr. Sir was still searching the tent. Once a good distance away from the camp, I slowed and walked the rest of the way to my hole.

"Look who's back," Squid called.

"Where'd you go?" Armpit asked, frowning as I collapsed on the ground, exhausted.

"Tent," was all I said.

"Why?"

I lifted my head just enough to look at him, resting my chin on the dirt. "Well I figured it would be bad if he found the seeds under my cot."

"You got it?" Magnet asked, incredulous, and I nodded. "Where is it?"

"Back in his office."

"Wait, what?" X-Ray said. "You managed to get it before him _and_ return it to his office?" I nodded again. He let out a low whistle.

"Can you believe Fox pulled that off?" Squid said.

I frowned. "Fox?"

"I know," Magnet laughed. "Fox is good."

"Who's a fox?" I asked, sitting up.

Squid rolled his eyes. "Duh, you."

"Me?"

"Yeah, it's your nickname," Magnet explained.

"Why Fox?"

"You know, 'cause your sly as a fox," Squid grinned.

"After the dare, and what you just did, you deserve it," X-Ray said. "It fits you."

I smiled. I had a nickname.


End file.
